


Exit, Pursued by a Hresvelg

by galforce (boxofwonder)



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: And an inaccurate depiction of a high school musical, Childhood Friend Lords, Claude takes one for the team, Confessions, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Happy Valentines from cupid 2.0, High School AU, Pining Edelgard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22726702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boxofwonder/pseuds/galforce
Summary: It's Valentine's Day and production manager Edelgard not only has a huge crush on Dorothea, the star of their musical, but also refuses to act on it.Enter Claude, Dorothea's co-lead, wingman extraordinaire, and a man with a plan.Needless to say, mayhem ensues in the name of love.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg, implied background dimiclaude
Comments: 6
Kudos: 111
Collections: 2020 Edelthea Secret Valentines Exchange





	Exit, Pursued by a Hresvelg

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Valentine's Gift for Dee or @amadeusofnohr on twitter for the Edelthea Secret Valentine's Exchange. I had originally worked on a multichap monster of a kid fic that was impossible to finish on time - so I hope you will like this lighthearted, fluffy romp of a high school AU! Down the line, you will have inspired the second fic also - either way there'll be more Edelthea and we all win ;D <3

“I know it's last second. But I know you can do better, and I expect that you will.”

Her light tech Linhardt groaned pointedly, his morale to work not even digging itself below the bar, but lying next to it, too lazy for anything else. “You _vastly_ overestimate my willingness to go the extra mile. Just because I could doesn't mean I _will._ ”

Edelgard ignored Dimitri shuffling awkwardly in the open doorway in that way that he did when he had awkward or bad news and wasn’t sure how to breach the topic. One fire after the next. “I wouldn’t expect it from anyone, but with you, I know it. Listen, when Dorothea takes the stage during her ballad, I know we said to keep the lighting on the townspeople as well -”

“But you expect me to keep them half in shadow, more silhouette than anything, and make our star stand out. Better follow her all through her dance, too, so she's the highlight and I can get a migraine.”

Dimitri’s shuffling intensified. Edelgard dug in her heels. “Precisely. See, you know it'd work better, too. I know it will catch our audience even more!”

Linhardt only looked at her with that disdainful expression turned on anyone settling him with more work. “Or our production manager has a crush on the main starlet of our literal high school musical, and it’s _showing._ ”

Edelgard blushed crimson but refused to back down. “You know I’m right. Make it happen.” Then she turned to Dimitri, to help fix whatever had gotten him so upset. Most likely another prop mishap - honestly, if he weren’t so good at building and fixing she would have not wanted him anywhere near the set. The amount of things he broke - “What is it?”

“It’s Claude,” he croaked, eyes wide with genuine worry.

Now, that was always an alarming statement to hear, from anyone. Claude had been her neighbor since they'd been seven, climbing their respective cherry trees and trying to spit the stones at each other across the fence. He had been the bane of her existence (or, otherwise described ‘best friend’) that entire time, and so Edelgard was intimately acquainted with the sheer mayhem he could cause. Somehow he managed to be one of the most intelligent and cunning people she knew, while also proving himself a complete _moron._ Unfortunately, he was also the second lead of the play, and very, _very_ vital. “What did he do, Dima?” she asked, ready to assess the damage.

“He’s sick.”

Sick! “He came here and showed up! How could he be sick now?” No, Edelgard knew exactly what was going on here. Claude had been making sly jokes that he should just break a leg and make her take over his part all through their months of rehearsing, saying it would be the fastest way for her to kiss her crush. To think he had the gal to fake illness on a performance night!

Just because Edelgard knew most lines by heard and had not only practiced with him, but also filled in for him during rehearsal when practicing with Dorothea didn't mean Edelgard would be capable just to shell out an entire performance out of nowhere.

And still he had decided to follow through on his terrible jokes. Oh, she would rip him a new one for getting Dimitri worried and forcing her to come fetch him when she had _a lot_ of fires to put out and chaos to oversee. “I am sure it is nothing. Where is he?”

“Uhm, the unisex bathroom on the first floor,” Dimitri said, brows furrowed. “It’s … really bad, El. I already volunteered to drive him home once he is, uhm, free to leave.”

As if, but Dimitri was as earnest as always. She sighed softly and patted his shoulder. “It’ll be alright. I’ll talk to him.”

Oh, and _how_ she would.

  
  


\---

  
  


“Your charade is up!” she called out, flinging open the bathroom door to reveal three stalls, one of which was currently ‘occupied’. “If you thought your prank worked, you are mistaken. I know you are faking it to get me closer to Dorothea, and it is _not_ funny. Get out here and go _perform._ ”

In answer, there was a rather convincing noise of a very upset, gurgling stomach. “Tough luck, princess,” Claude wheezed. “I knew if I faked it you wouldn’t let me get away with it.”

The horror that dawned on her was slow, and still muffled by very foolish hope. “What do you mean, Claude?”

He _wouldn't._ Not even Claude would be mad enough to pull through with such a reckless plan!

“I ain’t _faking,_ ” he said, sounding genuinely … tense. “You know how they say 'poison your enemies with their own poison'? Sometimes that enemy is a friend, and the friend is yourself, and the true enemy is the self that decides to take laxatives to wingman their best friend.”

Edelgard pinched the bridge of her nose, at a complete lack of words. He had not just said that. He had not just _admitted_ to that. “Please tell me this is a joke. Save the last scrap of faith I have in you.”

“I do not joke about healthy bowel movement,” Claude said, mock-affronted. “This is a very serious situation, El. Our musical is about to lack a whole lead and love interest to our star on the Valentine’s Day show. Will you really let that happen?”

Edelgard just stared at the ugly, pale-blue stall wall. Someone had drawn a very crude horse on it and titled it Ferdinand, and she would have rather investigated who had done that than engage in any way with this surreal situation. “I cannot do this. How do you imagine I could just fill in for you like it's nothing?!”

“But you can. That’s your job, princess. You make the show go on. And you’re damn good at it, too.”

By everything not holy - “Why would you poison yourself for _this_?! Are you an idiot? No, do not answer that, as I _know_ the answer. But your plan is deranged and will do nothing.” The performance included a kiss, and Edelgard had never kissed anyone before! How had Claude not taken _that_ into account?! Even just a fake kiss while she played a role would just about murder her, she was certain. And murder her chances with the girl of her dreams! What if Edelgard was so bad a kisser Dorothea would be so horrified she'd never want to look at her again?!

”It _is_ more of a plan than you ever came up with. Not only am I a great friend, I am a genius and you will come to realise it.”

Edelgard groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Happy Valentine's Day to you then _._ ”

“Well, I am currently shitting out my guts for the sake of love. Think about it, would cupid ever go this far? I really am the true spirit of Valentine’s Day.” His confident words ended in pained noises, and Edelgard refused to wince in sympathy.

“You are the spirit of chaos is what you are.”

“Why, my heart would is positively pounding after such flattery! If your massive crush on Dorothea wasn't strong enough to mess with satellite images, I'd be worried you'd fall for my charm after all.”

Edelgard rolled her eyes, folding her arms. Claude had no business teasing her when he’d developed a puppy crush on her halfbrother ages ago and never grown out of it, _or_ done something about it. “And what, pray tell, is your masterplan now? You realise I've never even gone fully through the motions of the full play -”

“El. El, my sweet El, as much as I’d like to have this discussion right now, with my pants down, you know, _sitting on the toilet,_ for the sake of our decade-long friendship I will warn you the next minutes will not be pretty.”

“This _is_ karma.”

“On your wedding day you will thank me,” he wheezed. “Now go and talk to Dorothea, not your poor, sickly best friend.”

“It’s your own fault,” Edelgard repeated, but softened enough to add: “Dima is gonna get you tea and a hot water bottle, I'm sure. Y’know, once you can leave and all.”

“A win for love all around.” Claude’s voice was so strangled now Edie decided to … really, _just go._

“So very romantic. Do be safe.”

“Sure thing, love you too,” he choked out.

Edelgard left him to his miserable fate and faced her own: a production manager without a main character an hour before showtime.

  
  


\---

  
  


Edelgard lingered in the hallway, so eerie and abandoned at night, and took a deep breath.

So here they were, fresh out of one male lead, and the only person who had memorised all the lines …

How could she be ready for this? Edelgard was far from a stranger to performing, which was precisely the reason she had decided to remain behind the curtains, best forever. Being somewhat of a child star made her resent it all, even though this was so far a cry from her Uncle dragging her around and forcing her through any and all auditions he could find.

This was the play her classmates and her had worked so hard on presenting, under guidance of Mrs. Casagranda. Being involved in all this showed a different side of the ‘show business’ to her, how much fun it could be to help the backstage team build a set, to coordinate everyone's efforts, to make sure at the end of the day the stage would be set and beautiful, the actors comfortable and ready to perform. There wasn't just the lights and music, but costumes to consider and this being a small high school production, Edelgard had set stitches on capes and finishing paintstrokes on set pieces and carried technical equipment after Linhardt and enjoyed every second of every day spent at rehearsals, growing closer to her crew.

Maybe she would even find a new joy in looking up at the lights trained on her, when it was alongside her cherished friends.

This wasn’t like back then, and Edelgard was sure that for just one night she could do a convincing enough job of playing the Emperor falling for the commoner to make it all worth it and make sure all the hard work didn’t go to waste, and that their audience would be delighted. But still she stood in the halfdark, closing her eyes, listening to her own heart.

How could she stand alongside Dorothea and expect to bring out any words at all when faced with kissing her not once, but twice during the play? At least as a child she’d never been expected to do such a thing!

And not with someone she truly -

“Edie!”

Edelgard looked up, heart giving out hearing that now familiar nickname. Dorothea came hurrying towards her as if called by Edelgard’s thoughts, only one of her eyes adorned with winged eyeliner and her elaborate braid in disarray that would certainly make Mercedes chide her for having to redo her work. She was out of breath when she came to a halt in front of her, and so lovely it made Edelgard’s heart ache. “I just heard that Claude can’t perform!” Dorothea took Edelgard’s hands and squeezed them, her eyes so wide and worried and so beautiful still. What wouldn’t Edelgard have done to make that green soften and light up, free of worry?

“It is true, unfortunately,” Edelgard said, very proud of herself for even managing words, when her hands were held by Dorothea’s, so warm and so -. “But … we will find a way.”

“Will you perform with me, then?” Dorothea asked, her gaze so intense as she lifted Edelgard’s clasped hands to her chest and squeezed them again. “You are our only hope to not have to get out of costume and send our audience home without even getting the chance to show them what we worked for!”

“I -” Edelgard wanted to tell her yes. She would fit Claude’s costume, and besides, her terrible best friend would not have incapitated himself had he not full trust she could live up to his expectations. He cared just as much as the rest of them, his only issue was he also cared for Edelgard’s foolish crush. And still, the dread she felt was overwhelming, all for that stupid little kiss. Her first kiss. Her never-before kiss. “I am not sure I am the best choice! Look, we will find -”

Dorothea’s face fell and she lowered their hands. “But Edie … who else could be my Emperor? Nobody could muster the intensity for the role quite like you, and besides, don’t you think we practiced often enough together to know that we have the right chemistry?”

There she did it again, what Claude insisted was flirting with Edelgard specifically, and Edelgard chalked up to Dorothea’s nature - being a little playful and flirty seemed to come so naturally to her, where Edelgard was rigid and serious.

“C-certainly, but -”

And Dorothea’s demeanor changed, here in this eerie dark school hallway, so transformed after hours when it did not burst with student life. “How could someone like you love me, then?” she asked, in the heavy voice of the commoner lady, yearning for the true love she had always wished for and afraid it could never be granted. “Is it not simply my voice you seek, and my beauty? I bring you not power, nor land …”

“And what does land matter to me?” Edelgard breathed, halting at first but with absolute certainty in her next lines. “Nothing could measure to you, beloved. And it was your voice that made my head turn, on that fateful day in the market, and your beauty that held my eye.” She slipped her hands from Dorothea’s to grasp hers now, as the Emperor did in this scene, holding them between them. Her heart pounded and her cheeks flushed, but her voice was steady and sure. “But it was _you_ who made me kneel and ask for your hand, it is you who makes me a better person, and it is you I wish to wake up to every day of every year to come. Your beauty may fade, and my power may crumble, but your heart will stay true, and if you think the same of mine, then I can only dream to braid our paths forevermore.”

Her hands were trembling now, knowing what came next, but if Dorothea noticed she did not say anything, or perhaps she was simply too entranced in her role. Just as Dorothea had rehearsed so many times she leaned in, eyes so warm and a lock of hair that had fallen free curling to frame her face, and Edelgard tilted her head with a pounding heart and felt the gentle brush of lips against her own.

There was no fear, no queasiness, only the prickle of goosebumps along her spine. The kiss was so gentle and sweet, _Dorothea_ was, their hands still laced between them. “Then so shall it be, my Emperor,” she breathed and pulled away, breath tickling Edelgard’s oversensitive lips.

With a strangled noise, Edelgard sank right down into a crouch, hands slipping away from Dorothea’s to cover her face. She made a rather embarrassing screeching noise, entire face aflame as she sat there and grappled with the reality of her life only now, lips alight with sensation.

“E-Edie?!” Dorothea crouched in front of her, clearly worried. “Are you alright? Did I do something wrong? I am so sorry, I got carried away by the scene -”

“N-no, it’s just -” Edelgard peeked at her between her fingers. She could still feel the lingering warmth of that kiss. “It was my first kiss … I’m, uhm, a little overwhelmed … forgive me.”

Dorothea gasped, looking at her with a strange kind of … was it pity? No. Edelgard refused to believe Dorothea would do that to her. “I am - ! I did not know! I am so sorry to have stolen that from you …” Oh. Was it sadness in her eyes, then, thinking this lovely first kiss had been anything but?

That was surprisingly annoying, in that it was so far from the truth Edelgard forgot to be too flustered to look and properly talk to Dorothea. “Please don’t say you’re sorry,” she said firmly, lowering her hands from her face. “It was very beautiful and I am glad it was you, Dorothea.”

It was an easy thing to confess, all of a sudden. It was something Edelgard was absolutely certain in, even in the whirlwind of emotion and confusion and Claude literally poisoning himself.

“You are?” Dorothea asked softly. Something else played on her face now, making her look sostf and vulnerable. “Are you just saying that to soothe me?”

“I would never.” Edelgard even found it easy to smile, now. “It felt really nice, and I … would not have wanted anyone else above you.”

“Oh!” Dorothea covered her mouth with her hand. “Edie, are you saying - ?”

“Am I saying? Oh!” That had practically been a confession, hadn’t it?! “I, I’m saying I’m definitely, uhm, no longer worried about filling in for Claude, seeing that I can’t mess up the kiss scene …”

Dorothea blinked, obviously not having expected Edelgard to use this as an out for the true question. But she smiled nonetheless. “I am so glad! You will look so dashing, and I will put on an even better show than I usually do! I promise you won’t regret stepping on the stage alongside me!”

“I could never.” Only now did Edelgard realise there seemed to be a matching flush on Dorothea’s cheeks as she crouched there, together with her, in their empty and half-dark school hallway. “You are amazing, Dorothea. Every time you take the stage I can’t look away. I would help organise a thousand plays just for you to shine.”

“Edie!” Dorothea gasped, flustered. “You say these things so nonchalantly … it’s really bad for a girl’s heart, you know that?” She looked down at her hands, now tightly clasped in her lap, and then back up at Edelgard. “Hey … after this … would you, maybe want to go eat waffles to celebrate? Or do anything else … we could also go to the movies, maybe? Uhm … just, just the two of us?”

Just the two of them! “I … I would really like that,” Edelgard said, blinking as she tried to puzzle out if this was supposed to be friendship, or ... or more. “Uhm, do you mean as in - ?”

“Edie! I mean it as in, I would kiss you a hundred times until you are a true expert, because there is no one else I’d like to kiss more!” Dorothea looked shocked by her own outburst, and lowered her voice, suddenly sheepish. “But I understand if you don’t feel that same way about me of course! Please do not feel pressured, I would love to stay your friend, too!” Dorothea nodded wildly, her hair bouncing and the braid unravelling further. Edelgard’s inner production manager told her to get going and get into costume and make-up, get Dorothea’s hair fixed up.

But also, this was her crush. Confessing to her. _Confessing to her!_ And she was a high school girl in love first and production manager second and she _would_ enjoy this moment!

“But I do!” she blurted. “I have - always, since you transferred here, and Claude would _not_ shut up about it, and - it was really embarrassing, and I do not usually embarrass myself that way, so you should be flattered.”

Dorothea giggled, the most beautiful sound. “I am, then! You are so cute, Edie. I adore you … working so close with you is really wonderful, and I’d … really like to get closer to you.”

“Me, too, Dorothea,” she breathed back, still afraid she might be dreaming and would wake to find Dorothea still so near but never close enough. “I’ve always wanted to get closer to you, and get to know you better than anyone does … I really like you a lot. So much.”

Dorothea giggled again, then. “Oh, Edie! I would so like to kiss you again. May I … ? Not an emperor and her commoner, but just you and me?”

What a question. Edelgard’s heart was warm, no longer racing now but beating a strong and steady beat of joy. Dorothea felt the same way about her - she did! Life suddenly felt like passing through a gold star in Mario Kart, pulsing in rainbow colours and leaving her invincible. “Please,” she said warmly. “I would like that very much.”

And Dorothea smiled, so wide and gorgeous, and she touched Edelgard’s cheek with her fingertips. “Close your eyes?” she breathed, and Edelgard did, and this time the kiss was even nicer, even more wonderful.

She dared to reach up, resting her hands along Dorothea’s biceps, and shivered thinking she might hold her hand in the future, touch her cheeks just as she touched Edelgard's, brush and braid her hair ... perhaps Edelgard could even lean her head on her shoulder … all these wonderful little things.

“Dorothea,” she sighed softly, trembling with emotion. It was hard to find her bearing – but she did. “I ... think we need to get going. Even though I don't want to let you go.”

“Oh! Oh, you’re right!” Dorothea laughed awkwardly, getting to her feet and offering her hand. Edelgard took it, and did not let go after Dorothea pulled her up. Because she was _allowed_ to. Because they liked each other. “We really ought to get you ready for your role of a lifetime!”

Edelgard would do all she could to make sure her own performance would match Dorothea's. She _would._

“And after … let’s talk about all our plans, okay?” Edelgard asked, and smiled so wide it ached.

Dorothea gave her an answering smile just as wide. “Yes,” she said. “Let’s deliver a show no one will forget so soon. And then … let’s see where we’ll go first. I always dreamed of an aquarium date, you know!”

“I’ll take you!” Edelgrd blurted, their hands swinging between them as they walked. “I’ll take you on all kinds of fun dates if you’ll let me!”

Edelgard would _never_ hear the end of this from Claude once he realised his ploy had worked out. And she would begrudgingly stay grateful, because this was the purest joy and just thinking of all the fun things to experience with Dorothea made her heart soar. But also, he _would_ be obnoxious about it until they were old and gray, Edelgard felt it in her bones.

It was all worth it, though, because Dorothea squeezed her hand and hummed: “I really cannot wait.”

**Author's Note:**

> Claude, tapping his knife against the glass about to give his best man speech for Edie and Doro's wedding, Edie with her head in her hands already and Doro with her head thrown back and laughing: Let me tell y'all the story of how I had to spend a night on the toilet to make this most joyful day happen -
> 
> Happy Valentine's, y'all! <3


End file.
